Earnhardt, speaking Thursday before testing at Texas Motor Speedway, said he had no problem with Johnson’s move, which forced him to lose a lap with just 33 laps remaining. Earnhardt finished two laps down in 24th.

“I would have done the same thing Jimmie did,” Earnhardt said. “(If) I’m leading the race, I’ve got to think my team, my car, what I’m trying to do.

“I don’t think he did it out of spite or anything like that. He was just driving his race. We shouldn’t have been back there in the first place and been in that position to be run over.”

NASCAR rules require drivers to keep a reasonable speed under caution — typically the pace-car speed except when in the immediate vicinity of an accident. Earlier this year, Earnhardt lost a spot under caution for not maintaining a reasonable speed.

“If you slow down, the guy behind you has the right to take your position – I lost a position to (Denny) Hamlin under caution at Phoenix, so I know all about that too well,” Earnhardt said.

“Jimmie, leading the race, couldn’t take that chance. He did actually try to slow down. I think he saw I had two left-side flat tires and it would have been pretty pointless from him to wait.”

Johnson went on to win the race but heard the criticism from Earnhardt fans. As part of a tweet during the week, Johnson said, “You haters have it right. I’m a bad teammate.”

Earnhardt dismissed that idea.

“He wasn’t doing anything that he wasn’t supposed to be doing,” Earnhardt said. “The guy is leading the race. He’s got to take care of what he’s doing. He’s got a race to win.”

Earnhardt said the track bar in the rear of his car caused his problems late in the race. It came loose on the left side and was moving all over the place, he said. A bolt in the back that holds the bar in place on the mount came out, and crew chief Steve Letarte said it was not properly installed, Earnhardt said.

“It came loose and dropped down,” he said. “When you move the track bar down, it really tightens the car up. … It moved an inch, (which) is a big, big major change and it really affected the handling of the car.”